The changed relations between the construction industry and occupational health services

BACKGROUND: From the 1960s until the beginning of the 1990s, the construction industry in Sweden received support for health and safety issues from Bygghalsan, an Occupational Health Service (OHS) that targeted the construction industry. In the 1990s, a reorganization of the OHS changed the relations between the actors involved. OBJECTIVE: This study explores these changed relations between the construction industry and the "old" industry-specific Bygghalsan versus the relations with "new" external OHS. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 interviewees from the construction industry and individuals involved in OHS which were transcribed and analyzed. RESULTS: The results suggest that OHS have changed towards a more general character instead of tailor-made services which has had a negative effect on the relations. Further, Bygghalsan was perceived as being apart of the construction industry while contemporary OHS providers were perceived as outsiders which further complicates building trustful relations. CONCLUSIONS: The relation between the construction industry and Bygghalsan was perceived as better compared to the relations with the new companies providing external OHS. The main barrier to building better relations is the perception that contemporary OHS do not have the same knowledge about the construction industry as Bygghalsan.